Live in the Los Angeles area and hoping to start the new year with a healthy dose of cosplay action? Anime Los Angeles, a three day event, starts next Friday, January 6, 2012 and ends Sunday, January 8, 2012. Those who hesitated on getting a presale tickets are out of luck and will have to register at the door. Prices are $50 for the whole weekend, $25 for Friday-only, $35 for Saturday-only, and $20 for Sunday-only.
No matter what service or product, there’s one word that’s synonymous with value: “unlimited”. We want unlimited text messages, data use, soda refills, sushi, and hours of streaming content on services such as Netflix.
GameFly recently introduced a public beta service that taps into the need for unlimited gaming, allowing users to download and play games not counting against current physical game rentals. Just like Netflix, subscribers only have access to select titles, which excludes many of the premier titles gamers everywhere are losing sleep over playing (Skyrim).
Games must be downloaded using GameFly’s own client.
Your move, Steam.
Source: 1up
It’s the end of 2011, which means we’re starting to see trailers for movies in 2012. Spring and summer are traditionally great times for studios to release big budget blockbusters. 2012 is going to be an interesting year for fans of the Snow White story. They’ll get two servings of this tale re-envisioned by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and Tarsem Singh (Mirror Mirror). Trailers for both are now available for viewers to decide which they’ll see. Let’s compare both and decide which is for you. Is it possible you’ll end up watching both?
Snow White and the Hunstman embraces a dark tone using stunning visual effects to convey the deeply sinister nature of Queen Ravenna. She’s constructed using the same recipe of the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. There’s no mistaking she’s the protagonist and we WILL see her take lives without batting an eye. The trailer is chalk full of CG and I for one never get sick of giant flocks of ravens or exploding glass in slow motion.
I’d be shocked if Mirror Mirror was rated anything higher than PG. Queen Ravenna is once again the star of the story, but this version adds a heavy dose of comedy dialog. Rather than being disgusted at Ravenna, audience members will likely fall in love with her and perhaps hope to see how far she’ll go, although we all know she won’t win. The 7 Dwarfs also appear to play a much more involved role and all seem to have distinct personalities.
Let’s start off with Queen Ravenna since she obviously has the most dialog in both trailers.
We saw Charlize Theron masterfully portray a serial killer in Monster, so we know she’s capable of playing the bad guy. The difference in this role, however, is that Queen Ravenna is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to looks. Sure, she’s almost always wearing black to remind us of how dead she is inside, but from her shoulders up, she’s absolutely gorgeous, just as you’d expect whenever she’s brought up, which is critical as beauty is the source of Queen Ravenna’s power.
In Mirror Mirror, Queen Ravenna is played by Julia Roberts, who is commonly perceived as America’s sweetheart and that doesn’t change here despite her intentions being evil. As hinted earlier, there are lots of laughs of to be had. Her first line in the trailer ends with a punchline and we see lots of cheeky attitude later with rolling eyes and other cute lines.
The next comparison is more against male leads since the two take different approaches.
Chris Hemsworth gained attention as an action male lead in Thor. He’s a good looking Aussie with tons of muscle definition, but we’re all waiting to see how much depth and emotional range he’s able to deliver. His character’s name is in the title of the movie, but with few words in the trailer, we’re left wondering how involved Eric, the Hunstman is in the plot. Regardless of the trailer’s limitations in showcasing his role, I’d expect to see Hemsworth bring some bone crushing, blood spitting action to the screen.
Armie Hammer did a great job fooling some people into thinking the twins of “Social Network” were two different actors and he’s received some good buzz for his role in J. Edgar. It doesn’t seem like his role Mirror Mirror is as heavy on action as it is on dialog, although he does hold a sword in one scene of the trailer. He plays a character born into royalty, Prince Alcott, which may also suggest he’s not the fighter type as any privileged person can usually find others to do his dirty work.
Looking at the two Snow White posters is the most obvious way to draw a conclusion between one of the two movies biggest difference.
Kristen Stewart plays Snow White and without any dialog in the trailer, we can only guess how engaging her role will be in Ruper Sanders’ story. Rather than being a helpless damsel in distress, this Snow White carries a sword and shield, ready to fight until death. Will Kristen Stewart embrace the Snow White role or will fans simply buy a ticket just to see another movie with Bella Swan? I dug her as Joan Jett in the Runaways and look forward to this role for her.
Lily Collins may not have the following Kristen Stewart has, but she does have a nice set of Frida-like eyebrows that catch one’s attention. She sprinkles in a few lines here and there within the trailer and I get the impression her character is, in one word, adorable. Unlike the aforementioned version, I’m not expecting to see any crying, screaming, or blood from this Snow White.
The 7 Dwarfs
There’s not much of a comparison here. We get zero insight into the personality of the 7 Dwarfs in Snow White and the Huntsman. They’re illustrated in one of the movie posters, but we aren’t sure how integral they are in the story. In contrast, Mirror Mirror’s trailer shows the 7 Dwarfs taking up additional comedic relief roles.
When it comes to visuals, it looks like a tossup between the two movies. Serious attention to detail was spent on action scenes and wardrobe. While Snow White and the Huntsman’s trailer shows plenty of intense battle scenes, Mirror Mirror looks like a grand fashion show starring Snow White and Queen Ravenna.
This isn’t the first time movies touching the same story have come out so close in release dates. A few years back, we saw Philip Seymore Hoffman portraying Truman Capote and thought we had deja vu when the role was later played by Toby Jones.
I see Snow White and the Huntsman targeted towards fans of Lord of the Rings. It has a villain that embodies everything evil, epic battle sequences, and lots of great CG. Mirror Mirror seems to fall under the same category as Enchanted. You can bring the kids and not worry they’ll have nightmares afterwards.
Source:
Snow White and the Huntsman
Mirror Mirror
Star of ABC’s Pan Am, Karine Vanesse, tweeted earlier today:
Well, we received THE call,
#PanAm is only coming back for one more episode after Christmas. But up to the end, we’ll give it our all !
A few hours after sending fans in a daze, she later followed up:
Sorry for the confusion
#PanAm fans; we still have 5 new episodes to air until February! 🙂
It’s uncertain where the misinformation was rooted or if fans should be worried about the show’s future beyond 1 season. Charlie’s Angels has already been given the axe after only 4 episodes, seemingly making Pan Am the winner in our previous comparison.
Yup. We did it again. Another intimate look at cosplay fans. Check out the clips below and discover who showed up at the 2011 Comikaze.
| 00:00 | Nerfpunk (Nerf + Steampunk mashup) talks about supporting Comikaze because it’s for the geeks, by the geeks. Check her out on the web and on twitter: @MakeUpBySiryn |
| 02:11 | A psychology student cosplays Link (Legend of Zelda) |
| 03:13 | A sheriff cosplays Pyramid head and explains he loves the character’s darkness. |
| 05:29 | A 6th grade student teacher cosplays a deku from Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time) and says “no comment” when asked how to solve the education system’s problems |
| 08:01 | Ariel (Little Mermaid), cosplayed by a visual effects artist that worked on Arthur Christmas, talks about the use of 3D in movies giving her a headache. Check her out on Facebook |
| 10:51 | A TSA agent cosplays Joel Robinson (Mystery Science Theater 3000) says she likes Comikaze because it goes back to the roots of comics. If you’re a friend, add her on Facebook |
| 14:07 | Amazing Spider-Man talks reboots, the moral values of Peter Parker, the spark on kids’ face. He’ll be joining the military in a couple of years. |
| 16:18 | We weren’t able to get inside the Mark Hamill panel for Sushi Girl, but did talk to some people waiting in line. The first talks about his thoughts on Comikaze as the first convention he’s ever been to. He mentions seeing Stan Lee in person being quite a treat. I ask his buddy about Star Wars who tells me which episode is his favorite and shares thoughts about George Lucas’ revisions. |
| 20:47 | This guy was one of my favorites of this convention. I’m so glad I stumbled across this fellow. This Snow Trooper (Episode V) also talks about George Lucas’ changes, using the help of 501st.com to make his costume, and his German origins. I became instantly fascinated with his background and learned he was a marketing student who loves how friendly people are in Califorina but hates the speed limits on freeways. |
| 24:46 | A fan briefly explains why he loves the Joker. We weren’t able to talk with him more due to the line moving into the hall |
| 25:02 | A fan does a mashup of Simpsons and Dragon Ball Z to create: Hegeta (Homer + Vegeta). He offers a suggestion of how the Simpsons should end the show and talks about why the Dragon Ball Z movie was a flop and how they could make a reboot better. |
| 29:28 | We knew there would be plenty of Elvira fans since this was her last convention appearance. I caught up with one fan who explains why she loves Elvira, meeting Elvira, and if anyone else can fill Elvira’s shoes. I asked about her personal life and she explained she’s an assistant editor for a film trailer house, Ignition Creative. Check out her deviantart profile here |
| 32:28 | A fan cosplays Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in all of Equestria, talks about putting her blood and sweat into making her costume. Follow her on twitter: @mkpresson. When I ask her about the craziest thing she’s seen, she points to a guy just to her left who turns out to be playing a character from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride. |
| 00:00 | A very chatty, original costume, cosplay fan talks about his custom work, making moccasins, and being a Hawaiian cowboy. Check out his pizza businss on Facebook |
| 03:49 | The green man we chatted with earlier ends up in a battle/dance with another full body suit guy. Hilarity ensues. |
| 05:04 | Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) loves being a total douche and says he’d reboot the Star Wars movies. |
| 06:50 | Steampunk peacock. Check out her steampunk group here and follow her on twitter: @saintchimo |
| 08:51 | Girls and Corpses representative has trouble convincing me why people have a corpse fetish |
| 10:39 | A pool boy cosplays a Tusken Raider |
| 12:52 | Phantom of the Opera talks about being dragged into conventions by her daughter |
| 14:25 | Another fan takes method acting very seriously and doesn’t get out of character as Rorschach (Watchmen) |
| 15:07 | A college student cosplays Allen Walker. She wants to be a costume designer and we think she’s onto a good start |
| 17:05 | The Red Shirt Army from Star Trek. Check out their youtube channel here and follow them on twitter: @inprovence |
| 19:50 | A steampunk couple does it right. It’s always nice to see couples get into the spirit of things together and really invest some considerable time and effort into their costumes |
| 23:23 | A fan cosplays Speed Racer and talks about his first car. Follow him on twitter: @jaysethan and check out his site |
| 26:19 | This fan cosplays Gem (Tron Legacy) and really pulls it off. She works for the Disney Channel as a satellite operator. Follow her on twitter: @annisse |
| 28:57 | This guy helps demonstrate why its fun to ask what people do for a living. He’s an optician that cosplays Cyclops. |
| 30:59 | I really love watching childhood favorites come to life. This guy obviously put serious money and time into his Predator costume. He does IT work for an elementary school. |
| 32:25 | A young industrial design student traveled all the way from Atlanta and cosplays Rydia (Final Fantasy IV). I love that the cute Anya photobombs in the beginning of the video. Follow her on twitter: @mnikalee |
| 00:00 | Costume contest: includes Spy Versus Spy, Anya (Gears of War), Rydia (Final Fantasy IV), Mandalorians (Star Wars), Predator, Deadpool, Jurassic Park, Squirrel Girl, Jedi Bob’s Big Boy, Henchman (Venture Brothers), Black Widow, Cloud (Final Fantasy VII), Dr. Doom, Cobra Commander, Joker, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), the same Poison Ivy from the Anime Expo (@megturney), Wonder Woman, Gem, Putty (Power Rangers), Master Chief (Halo), Lloyd Dobler, Pyramid Head, Rainbow Dash, Catwoman, Rogue (X-Men), Cyberman |
| 13:20 | Anya (Gears of War) talks about why she loves the game and Comikaze and says what she’ll buy if she wins the $500 |
| 14:46 | Putty (Power Rangers) |
| 15:53 | Squirrel Girl turns out to be a real character in the Marvel World! I also love how animated she is! Add her on Facebook if you’re a friend and follow her on tumblr |
| 19:24 | Winners of the costume contest are announced |
| 24:45 | Jurassic Park couple |
| 26:22 | A gender bender cosplay fan talks about his character being known for being a slut. I can’t make out the name of the character. If you recognize the character, comment below! |
At the Long Beach Comic Convention, we saw many booths where artists, writers, and producers showcased their latest works. One of them that immediately caught our attention was the Toonhole booth. Who doesn’t love Macho Man Randy Savage? Even though he rests in peace, his legacy and iconic voice lives on. We stepped closer to discover a world of funny and clever comics that really appealed to us. Obviously, we had to get a word with the boys behind Toonhole.
Take a look below and learn all about Toonhole in this interview with Ryan Kramer and Mike Nassar. They talk about the drunken mashup that is Toonhole, their origins as animators, the benefits of technology on the comic book industry, plans to publish for the growing tablets market, and offer unique advice for aspiring artists.
Find more about Toonhole here
twitter: @toonhole / @toonholechris
Earlier this year, we gave you guys an intimate look at cosplay fans of the Los Angeles Anime Expo. Well, I hope you didn’t think we’d leave you hanging with the Long Beach Comic Convention, because we did it again!
Have a look and discover what cosplay fans are all about as we ask them questions like what makes the Long Beach Comic Convention different from others, why they love the characters they cosplay, how long their customes took to make, why DC Comics doesn’t release as many movies as Marvel, and what they do for a living. Notice how popular steampunk costumes have become?
| 00:00 | The Joker explain who she is and why it’s fun to be crazy. It’s interesting that she references Batman as a creation by Christopher Nolan rather than Bob Kane. She always weighs in on Twilight versus the Avengers. Don’t try to find her online because she’s got tough security settings. |
| 02:10 | John Stewart (Justice League Unlimited) loves being one of DC’s first black characters |
| 03:55 | Ash Williams (Evil Dead II) |
| 04:58 | Bloodsucka Jones gives us the heads up on the convention being a place to pickup girls |
| 05:42 | An rebel X-wing pilot talks about George Lucas’ tweaks to the video releases |
| 08:15 | An attorney cosplays Superman and talks about the character being inspirational, leading by example, the DC Comics reboot, and why DC Comics hasn’t made as many movies as Marvel Comics |
| 11:05 | Wonder Woman |
| 12:23 | a storm trooper tries to take down Felix the Cat |
| 12:49 | a steampunk couple explains the allure of steampunk and the convenience of the Long Beach Comic Convention being close to home |
| 00:00 | Boba Fett, intergalactic booty hunter, talks about why he’s the 1%, all the girls he’s pulling, and gives advice to the president |
| 01:07 | An amazing Deadmau5 helmet that took 10 months to make by a film and visual effects student. Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/pwnch |
| 01:58 | A computer science student talks about his original character, Ordo Mando, and the challenges of using fiber glass and resin. He mentions deconstructing the helmet taking awhile due to many screws. Check out the forum that helped him make his costume: http://405th.com/ |
| 03:40 | An insurance claims negotiator cosplays a dalek from Dr. Who and promotes her fiance’s comic book site: Old Dying Kitty Comics |
| 05:22 | Captain America gives advice for the president |
| 06:28 | An English major graduate student cosplays Henchman 21 from the Venture Brothers and talks about Long Beach Comic Convention being great for checking out panels |
| 08:01 | A human services major student cosplays Lina Inverse from Slayers and gives advice for the president and predicts the outcome of a Jersey Shore versus Twilight fight |
| 10:25 | Chun-li from the Anime Expo cosplays Jill Valentine from Resident Evil |
| 11:45 | Daft Punk |
| 13:05 | A geek squad agent (Best Buy) cosplays a more obscure character, Jared Nomak (Blade 2), and shares his thoughts on Steve Jobs’ legacy |
| 00:00 | Steampunk cosplay fan talks about her outfit ingredients: Nerf gun, cookie cutter |
| 01:23 | Sexy Colonel Sanders and a KFC chicken drumstick. This was my favorite for sure. There isn’t any explanation needed. I even asked the couple if the idea was ironic. I know fast food always gets a bad rap and I initially suspected the couple might have actually been vegetarian. It turns out they’re just fans of the Colonels wonderful recipe. |
| 02:33 | A very nervous John Egbert struggles to answer questions. I guess we caught him off guard. |
Executive producer, Joe Russo, talked to us about all the latest and greatest things happening at Starburns Industries, producers of Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole.
Joe discusses working with stop motion versus CG, the challenges of working with stop motion, the big dream of Starburns Industries, why he likes Long Beach Comic Convention over other conventions, other projects the company is working on, and the process of finding the right voice for a series.
Watch Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole on Adult Swim
Find out more about Starburns Industries
Angus Oblong is an interesting person. If you saw him on the streets, I’m not sure you’d recognize him right away. I say that because he wore his usual face paint at the Long Beach Comic Convention.
Many of you may be more familiar with his series, The Oblongs, which was recently salvaged by Adult Swim, purveyors of once under-appreciated works like Family Guy and Futurama.
Angus Oblong talks about making art for his own amusement and offers indispensable advise for aspiring artists. I was admittedly intimidated by his appearance despite the fact I really felt a connection with his art. I wish I could have spent more time asking him questions but I was clearly unprepared for the man I met. Take a look below.
I won’t lie. I was scared to ask Miracle Laurie for a few minutes of on camera Q & A. She’s tall, attractive, dresses well, and I didn’t know a thing about her. Luckily that didn’t matter to David, who was bold enough to push me out of the nest like a confident mother bird.
Miracle Laurie was kind and patient enough to answer a few questions with us. She discusses her character on Dollhouse, what drew her to the role, challenges of portraying the character, the geek in her wanting to play Wonder Woman, thoughts on 3D, what makes Comikaze different from other conventions, masks freaking her out, Goodnight Burbank, The First Ride of Wyatt Earp, working with Alan Cummings, a ukulele cover band she’s in with her husband, Uke Box Heroes, her favorite songs to cover, and the need for a physical keyboard on her phone.
Check out more of Miracle Laurie on the web:
Uke Box Heroes on iTunes
HDNet’s Goodnight Burbank
twitter
Freelance comic artist, Chris Moreno, gave us a few minutes to talk about his latest project: Zombie Dickheads. It’s a unique twist on the zombie apocalypse where some zombies DON’T eat people. Moreno also chats about his source of inspiration and discusses the relevance of tablets like the iPad and Kindle in the comic industry.
Check out more of Chris Moreno’s work:
http://www.chrismoreno.org/
deviantART
http://zombiedickheads.blogspot.com
twitter